Signaling apparatus for use on road-vehicles



A. H'. KELDAY.

SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR USE 0N ROAD VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. Ia. IQII.

1,397,639, Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

d a k 1, la I Il ll f Fig.l

Fig. 3. Inventor Attorney.

ARTHUR HAROLD KEL'DAY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SIGNALING- APPARATUS FOR USE 0N ROAD-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2.52, i921;

Application filed December 18, 1917. Serial No. 207,671.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR HAROLD KEL- DAY, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 8 Bampton road, Forest Hill, London, S. E., England, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements Belating'to Signaling Apparatus for Use on Road-Vehicles, ott which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signaling appa ratus for use on road vehicles and has for its object to provide simple and convenient means to indicate the intended movement, and the direction oit' the intended movement to the right or left of the driver of a vehicle as a warning to the drivers of following vehicles.

According to the invention I utilize the red tail light or a special red or other light which, when the driver intends to move to the right or to the left, is caused momentarily to be intercepted or iiickered and by other means at the same time I give an indication, as for example by the exposure or illumination olf an arrow, as to the direction of movement. For example, on each side of the red tail light or special light, apertures are provided in the casing ci thc lamp in the form of arrows directed to the right and left respectively, the one may be colored green and the other red or both may be colored red or white, and means be provided by which on the red light being flickered one or other of the arrows is illuminated or exposed in order to indicate the direction of intended movement.

It will be understood that each shutter device is operable from the drivers seat 'for example by hand operating levers disposed in juXta-position so that one or other may be convenientlyT selected for operation.

The invention comprises the construction of apparatus as hereinafter described.

The invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings in which- Figure l is a sectional plan of a signaling apparatus which is applied to the casing hearing the number plate oi' the vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a iront elevation corresponding to Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a front elevation with the front part of the casing removed.

In carrying the invention into eiiect as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, l provide the casing a usually employed for the number plate 5 at the same time to carry the red colored tail light o. This red light c is advantageously provided immediately beneath the illuminated. number plate o and the same source ot' light, that is the lamp (Z may he used for the number plate as well as for the red colored lens. TWithin the casing a of the lamp adjacent to the red-colored lens l provide a pair of shut- A ters e. These are mounted at the opposite ends upon pins f and they are operated by Bowden mechanism or other means of transmission from the drivers seat, and by such means as a spring Vthey are maintained in the upper position in which the arrow apertures g are closed by them asA indicated in Fig. 3. In the illustrated construction two juxtaposed pins it are mounted at thefrear of the respective shutters in a position near the pivoting pins 7 and between these pins 7i an operating arm z' is mounted upon a rearwardly extending spindle y' carried on the inner i'ace of the side wall of the casing a. The rearwardly extending end of the spindle j has mounted upon it a lever le which is operable by Bowden transmission wire from the drivers seat and conveniently a spiral spring 47'1 may be mounted upon the spindle y', one end being secured to the spindie and the other to the boss through which the spindle passes or to the side wall oi the casing so that thus the arms z' are normally directed upwardly and thus when the Bowden transmission wire is not operated the shutters e assume their uppermost position. The ends of the shutters e are extended and their ends diverted one from the other so that thus in the operation of the shutters the light passing `through the red tail lens o may flicker so that the flickering of the red light .may itself serve as a signal of intended movement.

It will be understood that the rear or red light need never entirely' be obscured and that the liickering effect may be produced entirely by the operation of the shutters or by contraction of the area through. which the light is passed.

In the illustrated construction the lower iront part Z of the casing is adapted to be hinged at Z1 and clips fm, may be provided for engaging the lower end. Brackets a may be provided by means of which the lamp may be secured in position upon arms or brackets provided upon the car. 0 indicates a ventilating hood.

For use in the daytime the shutters may be provided With a White or other colored surface for the purpose of attracting attention. Y'

Nithin the lamp casing a reflecting mirrors may loe provided `VWith a view to securing eiiective diffusion of light through the apertures.

The invention is not `coni'ined to the utili- Zation of a single casing as described, for if required a special lamp'casing may be provided for the purpose of the invention. Similarly, the invention is not conined to the particular meansv employed 'for producingv the .tlickeringetl'ect of the light.

I claim: Y

l. A signaling device for use on road vehicles, comprising a casing, an aperture in the said casing at which a signal light is constantly exposed, two signal arms adapted to indicate direction and inclosed and mounted in the said casing in such positionas to intercept the signal light on their mov ing into the on position, and independent means for moving the respective signal arms from the oii to the on position, substantially as described.

Q. A signaling device for use on road vehicles, comprising a casing, an aperture in the said casing atwhich a signal light is constantly exposed, tivo apertures in the said casingoi a shape indicating direction and disposed on each side or the aperture iirst referred to, tivo signal arms adapted respectively to close one or other of the said two apertures and to intercept the signal light on the movement of one or other of the signal arms from the oil to the on posi tion, and independent means for moving the signal arms from the off to the on vposition, substantially as described.

ARTUR HAROLD KELDAY. 

